


Everyone Needs a Hero

by iamthatmonster



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-07-15
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:07:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1405981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamthatmonster/pseuds/iamthatmonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where X-Ray and Vav are real, Gavin has always tried his hardest to stay away from serious relationships, satisfying his desires through a series of one night stands. But when he meets Michael Jones, who's flirty and confident and fucking hot, Gavin may decide to change his mind. Also cool hero stuff happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Gavin wasn't necessarily the most careful person in the world. Despite the fact that he was a fairly well known superhero, and his partner Ray - or X-Ray, as he was known - was constantly on his ass about "keeping his identity under wraps", one of Gavin's favorite things to do was use his powers out of costume.

Which explained why Gavin was now running down the street, the people around him all moving in slow motion as he sped by.

Nothing seemed different to them; they were still moving at the same rate as everyone else after all. If Ray could have seen him at that moment, he would have been pissed. Gavin could practically see the look of frustration on his face as he pushed his signature 'Vav' outfit into his hands.

It had happened far too many times to be unfamiliar.

But at that moment it didn't matter. He felt as if he was on top of the world. That sensation was well worth the shit he would get for it later.

Gavin hadn't noticed that his mind had begun to wander as he raced down the sidewalk. But when he found himself quickly approaching a man who seemed to be running as well, he was quickly snapped back into reality. The surprise had caused him to lose all control, hurtling the world around him back to it's normal speed.

The transition was too much for him to handle, and for a moment his brain swam in confusion as he tried to will his feet to stop.

Stumbling forwards, the impact of another body slamming into him headfirst send him flying onto his back in turn. When he had finally regained his head, he became aware of angry yelling coming fro somewhere beside him. The words were unintelligible at first, but they soon began to make sense.

"...like fuck dude, are you even listening to me?"

Shaking his head to try to get some sense into it, Gavin forced himself to his feet. "Bloody hell, mate," he managed, though the wind had been thoroughly knocked out of him by their collision. "Sorry about that. Didn't see you there until it was too late. My bad."

"Damn right it was your bad," the other man shouted, and Gavin finally had a chance to look at him properly. His face was red due to his blatant rage, which Gavin couldn't help but find the slightest bit adorable. His hair was curly and thick, and it was hard to tell if it was red or brown.

He was snapped out of his trance when he realized the man was yelling again.

"Fuck, did you zone out again? Jesus Christ, you might want to go to the doctor and get your brain checked or some shit."

"My brain doesn't need checking," Gavin finally managed to get out. "It's just that you are bloody attractive."

The mans face turned an even deeper shade of red, and Gavin guessed that it was due to embarrassment. "Where the fuck did you even come from, anyways?" he man mumbled, but his voice was noticeably less enthusiastic. "Like one minute you weren't even there. Then the next you were right in my fucking face."

Gavin hesitated, his eyes darting nervously from side to side.

"Come on man," the other prompted. "It's your fault I lost my damn wallet, so the least you can do is tell me how the hell you fucking appeared out of thin air."

As soon as he had heard the words, Gavin perked up. "You lost your wallet?"

"Yes! Goddamn, that's what I've been saying this whole fucking time. I was hot on his heels when you showed up. Could have caught him too."

Glancing around quickly, Gavin checked to make sure there was no one around. The people that were didn't pay them any mind. Taking a few steps closer to the man, Gavin watched his body tense, smirking in satisfaction. "I have a secret," he murmured, his lips only several inches away from the other man's ear. "And that secret can kill two birds with one stone. But you have to promise not to tell."

"W-what birds?" the man stammered, refusing to make eye contact with Gavin.

"You have to promise."

"Fine," the man groaned, his head dropping back in frustration. "I promise not to tell anyone about your shitty secret. Now what the fuck is it?"

Gavin studied the man's face for several seconds before nodding promptly, sure that the other man was telling the truth. Then he was smiling, his eyes shining brightly. "Why tell you when I can show you?"

A moment later he had lifted the other man into his arms, bridal style, the world around them slowing down to almost a stop. When Gavin looked down to the man in his arms, his face was almost impossibly red. "What the fuck kind of a secret is this?" he hissed, and Gavin only shrugged.

"That I'm incredibly strong?" The man looked ready to protest, but Gavin cut him off with a shake of his head. "Do you think you could recognize the guy that stole your wallet?"

"That asshole? Yeah, I'm pretty fucking sure I could. Not that it fucking matters, because I'll probably never see him again."

"I wouldn't say that," Gavin replied confidently. Then his feet left the ground.

The man's eyes widened as he realized what was happening, twisting his hands into the fabric of Gavin's shirt for support.

"The fuck?" He shouted, the terror clear in his voice. Gavin looked at him and raised an eyebrow, then a look of understanding washed over his face. "Y-you're Vav?" he questioned cautiously, in such a way that he could take it back if the need arose.

Gavin shrugged, trying his hardest to hold back a laugh. "I said I had a secret, didn't I?"

The two simply stared at each other for a time, neither of them wanting to say a word. "I'm Michael," the other man said, after long last. "Michael Jones. I guess I never really introduced myself properly."

There was no holding back his laughter at that, and by the time Gavin had finally calmed down, Michael's face was bright red once more. "Fuck you," he muttered, averting his eyes.

"Well, Michael," Gavin purred, making sure to place special emphasis on his name and completely ignoring his comment. "You've already guessed who I am, but you can call me Gavin if you like."

"Gavin," he repeated slowly, his eyebrows knitting themselves together in confusion. "So where'd the name Vav come from?"

Now it was Gavin's turn to flush, shaking his head enthusiastically. He didn't exactly want to tell Michael that it was just because he had fucked up his name one day. "Never mind that," Gavin said quickly. "I said I could kill two birds with one stone. I already killed one, by showing you how I seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Now that we're up here, we can kill the other one by getting your wallet back."

"The guy is probably long gone by n-"

"He could be," Gavin cut him off. "But if he's still running, he's running in slow motion. We could easily catch up." His eyes scanned the roads, looking for anyone that might seem suspicious. "You see him anywhere, love?"

Michael's entire body tensed at the words, and Gavin tried his hardest to hold back a grin. Then the other man was peering towards the ground, from where he had previously been staring at Gavin. For several long moments, no words were passed between them. When Michael finally moved so that Gavin could see him clearly, all the color had drained from his face.

"We're really fucking high," he muttered, swallowing heavily. Then he man a vague motion with his hand, causing Gavin to look in that direction. "See that guy in the alley over there? Blonde, close cropped hair? That's him. The fucker that stole my wallet." He closed his eyes tightly, and Gavin couldn't help but feel bad for him.

"You know," he said casually, as he flew in the direction of that man Michael had pointed out to him. "I'm not going to drop you."

"I fucking know that," he snapped, but his body was still tense.

"And even if I did," Gavin continued. "It wouldn't mater anyways."

"Fuck you, of course it would matter!"

"That's not what I meant," Gavin exclaimed, and he hurried to explain. "All I meant was that the world around us is moving in slow motion. You'd fall in slow motion too. It'd give me plenty of time to get to you."

Michael hesitated, then gave a short nod. "Fucking fine," he managed, though he didn't seem completely convinced.

By that point, the two were hovering over the spot the man had stopped. He looked heavily over his shoulder, then sighed a breath of relief and pulled out a wallet, beginning to count the money inside. Gavin felt Michael's grip on his shirt tighten.

"He's fucking celebrating," Michael hissed, glaring at the man below them. He seemed to have recovered fairly quickly from his fear of heights. Or maybe the anger was just more potent at the moment.

"I'll get it for you," Gavin said, landing on one of the buildings to the side of him. "Though the minute I put you down, you'll be in slow motion. It won't feel any different to you, but I just thought I'd let you know."

"Right," Michael said hesitantly. "Okay."

Then Gavin was placing Michael firmly on his feet on the roof of the building. Almost immediately, made his way to the man, who was still slowly counting the money. It only took a few seconds for Gavin to pluck the wallet and all the cash out of his hands before darting away. He landed next to Michael again, who turned his head to look at him.

A moment later, Gavin was releasing the hold he had on the world, sending both him and Michael into an array of confusion. When they finally got their heads back, Michael turned to Gavin, shaking his head vigorously. Gavin smiled at that, knowing the sensation far too well.

"Goddamn," he muttered, blinking several times. "Does it do that every time you go back into normal speed?"

"Yep," Gavin replied with a smile, handing over his wallet. Michael's eyes lit up as he grabbed it back, quickly counting the bills. Sighing a breath of relief, he looked up to Gavin and smiled.

"Thanks," he muttered, his cheeks going a slight shade of red. "It's all here."

"No problem, it's the least I can do." Just then, a frustrated yell came from beside them, and Michael and Gavin both turned to peer over the edge of the building. The man that had stolen the wallet was turning around in confusion, digging through his pockets, eyes scanning his surroundings.

"One minute it was there, and the next it wasn't, he exclaimed to himself, and he almost sounded like he was veering on insane.

"Time to go," Gavin muttered, picking Michael up once more despite his protests. He set him down in the next ally over, but since they were in regular time, neither of their heads swam as they had before.

For a minute, the two men simply stared at each other, but then Michael was muttering something under his breath. "Fuck it." He looked at Gavin and bit his lip hesitantly. "Give me your arm."

"What?"

"Just," he exclaimed, then shook his head, trying to calm himself down as best he could. "-just give me your arm."

Gavin shrugged, doing as the other man had said. Then the other was pulling a marker out of his pocket, quickly writing down a series of numbers on the skin. When he had finished, his face was flushed, and he tucked the marker into his pocket once more. "Y-you should call me sometime. You know, if you're into fucking stupid civilians like me."

"Michael Jones," Gavin said, amusement in his tone. "Are you flirting with me?"

"I think I'm doing a little more than flirting," he replied, averting his eyes.

"So I suppose you could say that I swept you off your feet?"

Michael's jaw dropped, and he was laughing a moment later. "Fuck, dude. That was a really bad joke, you know that? Don't know how much of that I'd be able to handle."

Gavin chuckled as a response, shaking his head. "It was too good an opportunity to pass up," he said with a wink. Then he was strolling away, his hands in his pockets.

Ray was going to kill him.


	2. Chapter 2

It was hours later before Gavin decided to go home. When he went out, he liked to indulge himself. Ray would probably have his eye on him for a while after this.

Gavin tried to be quiet as he slipped through the hallway towards their shared apartment. His caution didn't have anything to do with his neighbors - he honestly couldn't care less about them. It didn't matter that he was a superhero who had, more or less, dedicated his life to helping others. As long as there wasn't a possibility of their dying, Gavin usually wrote them off as 'fine'.

Michael had been an exception.

His real concern was his room mate. When Gavin had left earlier that day, he hadn't so much as mentioned to Ray that he might be leaving. Crossing his fingers, Gavin hoped desperately that he hadn't noticed his disappearance. He didn't feel like getting another lecture.

However, his hopes were shattered when he opened the door, only to reveal Ray, hands on his hips. "What the fuck," was all he said, and it wasn't hard to tell that he was pissed. Gavin forced a smile, but had to avert his eyes.

"What's new, X-Ray?" he asked, trying his best to sound confident.

"Not much, I guess," Ray replied, rolling his eyes. "You're still an asshole, fucking not telling you were leaving and shit. And you were probably out using your powers without your costume."

A groan escaped Gavin's lips and he threw his head back in frustration. "I can fucking take care of myself Ray," he snapped. "I'm not a bloody kid."  
"Maybe not, but you're sure as hell acting like one." Ray's eyes scanned Gavin's face for a few moments, before dropping to the numbers scrawled across his arm. His body visibly slumped, and he looked back up at Gavin in frustration. "Fucking hell, not again."

"Listen Ray," Gavin protested putting his hands up in front of his body in a comforting gesture. "It's not what it looks like. I was just out and I came across a bloke that needed some help. It's no big deal."

"Did you tell him who you were?" Ray's voice was stern, and Gavin squirmed nervously.

"I-it's none of your fucking business."

"You did," the other man exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Goddamnit Gavin. How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? You can't keep using your powers to flirt with people. One of these days you're going to fuck yourself over." His voice was beginning to rise, and Gavin sighed, collapsing back to lean against the door.

"Ray, I-"

"No, shut up," Ray snapped, waving a hand in his direction. "I know you hate it when I talk to you about shit like this, and I fucking hate talking about it too. But I'm just worried about you. Is your life really worth some fucking one night stand?"

Gavin felt his body visibly tense, and for some reason that he couldn't quite place, he felt anger rushing up inside of him. "This one's different, Ray," he said, trying his hardest to keep his voice calm. However, his tone was sharp, and Ray raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" He asked, and he didn't sound very impressed. "How's that?"

There was a slight pause before Gavin responded. But when he did, his voice was quiet. "He's the only one who didn't immediately trust me to not drop him."

Ray knit his eyebrows together, his gaze absolutely piercing. “Alright,” he said, after long last. “Sure. He’s different. But is that different enough? How can you know that one thing, one tiny difference, is enough to put him in a completely different category than all the other people you’ve hooked up with?”

For a moment, Gavin didn’t know quite what to say. He knew that Ray was making a solid point, but there was no way that he was going to admit it. But then he speaking again. “Because Ray,” he mumbled, his voice still slightly soft. “I have to make him trust me. It probably wouldn’t be possible for me to just fuck and run, not that I want to do that with him anyways.”

“You don’t?”

Lifting his head, Gavin scanned Ray’s face, curiosity plastered across his own. “What?”

“You don’t want to just fuck and run? That’s a first.”

Gavin wasn’t sure whether to feel offended or not. But the fact that Ray seemed to finally be accepting that Michael was different lightened his mood slightly. “No, Ray. I don’t.”

The other man looked at him for a moment longer before nodding and turning his back. “Fine,” he said shortly, shoving his hands into his pockets and strolling towards the living room. “I believe you. But I think you need to ask yourself a serious question - what exactly is it that you’re hoping to gain?”

\---------------

As soon as he had wrapped up his conversation with Ray, Gavin had made his way to his own room. On a normal day, he and Ray would play Xbox before making their nightly rounds. But tonight was different. Ray was pissed, and Gavin was pissed, and any attempted interaction would probably result in a fight.

Gavin didn’t want to risk it.

Now he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, fidgeting with the phone in his hands. Ever since Ray had brought up Michael, Gavin hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Normally he would wait a few days before contacting the people he met.

Maybe he would make another exception.

It only took a few seconds more for Gavin to give in to the temptation, quickly dialing the numbers that he had somehow committed to memory. As the phone rang, Gavin started to second guess himself. Maybe he should have waited a bit longer. Was he going to look desperate?

However, before he had a chance to hang up, a loud voice was speaking. “This is Michael. Who’s calling?”

Biting his lip slightly, Gavin swallowed heavily. “It’s Gavin.” There was a pause, and Gavin’s breath caught as he waited for the other man to respond. Then Michael was laughing.

“I wasn't expecting you to call so soon to be honest. A bit desperate to get into my pants, are we?”

Gavin could have face palmed. He knew he should have waited, and he felt the heat rushing to his cheeks as he tried to stammer out a response. "N-no, nothing like that. I swear." He hesitated slightly, before adding, "-unless that's what you want."

Michael laughed again, and Gavin couldn't help but smile. Making Michael laugh felt natural. It felt good. And he couldn't wait to do it again. "Let's wait until after a few dates, yeah?" The other man replied, and Gavin nodded despite the fact that Michael couldn't see him. "If you don't get fucking tired of me before then," Michael added, and then it was Gavin's turn to laugh.

"I don't know if I could ever get tired of you, Michael."

"You hardly even fucking know me," Michael exclaimed, but it was obvious by his tone that he was smiling.

"I know that you're beautiful."

There was a bit of a silence, and for a brief moment, Gavin wondered if he had went too fast too quickly. But then Michael was speaking, and he seemed like he was stammering out his words. "I-I'm not fucking beautiful, asshole."

"Yes, you are Michael," Gavin exclaimed, and he sounded offended that Michael would imply otherwise.

"W-why were you calling again?" Michael muttered, and Gavin laughed. He wondered for a moment if Michael was blushing, and the thought made him smile wider.

"How about a date, love?"

"I'm not fucking paying."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The sound of a heavy swallow reached Gavin's ears, and he waited patiently for a reply. When Michael finally spoke, he sounded confident. "The only night I have free this week is tonight. But if that's too soon then-"

"It's not too soon," Gavin cut him off. "Tonight would be bloody brilliant."

"Alright then. Pick me up at seven." He quickly rambled off an address, and Gavin hurried to scribble it down. That's when he realized that the line had been silent for far too long.

"Michael?"

"Yeah, I'm here shithead, I was just thinking."

"About?"

There was a slight pause, then Michael was talking once more. "When I said pick me up, I meant in a car. Like don't physically pick me up again." Gavin laughed loudly this time, and he hoped that he hadn't embarrassed the other man. But he couldn't help himself.

"Don't you trust me?" He asked, and his voice was teasing. However, he didn't tell Michael just how concerned he was about the answer.

Again, there was no response for a moment, and Gavin began to wonder just how often Michael stopped to think about things. Just as he was about to voice this question, Michael was cutting him off.

"I don't know yet," he said simply. "Seven. Don't be late." Then the line went dead.

Gavin sat there, staring at the wall, for several minutes after Michael had hung up. But he was still trying to process what had just happened. It was obvious that he was going to have to work to earn Michael's trust.

What surprised him was just how willing he was to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gavin can drive, because fuck it. Michael doesn't want Gavin to carry him, and I wasn't about to have Ray drive them around goddamnit.

By the time six-thirty finally rolled around, Gavin was having difficulties sitting still. He had never been so nervous for a date before in his life, which was probably to be expected since he hadn't been on a whole lot of them.

Ever since he had met Ray, the two of them had been busy trying to keep the crime in the area under control. Not only did he not really have time for a serious relationship, he hadn't even been sure that he wanted one.

For the longest time, Gavin had been more than willing to deal with a series of one-night stands as the closest thing he had to a relationship. They were all more than willing to comply - who in their right mind would give up the chance to fuck a superhero, after all?

But then he had met Michael, and everything changed.

Gavin had immediately known what it was that had attracted him to Michael, though there was no way he would ever tell anyone.

Before Gavin had met Ray, he had been carefree as hell. He didn't give a fuck about anything or anyone, only doing what made him happy. The powers that he had been gifted with had been used more as weapons than anything else, forcing him into an almost bully-like mentality.

Then Ray came crashing into his life, and he had been pissed. The lectures had started shortly afterwards. Ray had tried to get him to realize that what he had been doing was wrong, and it had worked. However, it gradually evolved into something a little more than concern, often verging on paranoia.

Any time he even considered some kind of relationship, even just as friends, he would stop to do a double take. He would think of all the enemies he had made, and how bad it would be for others if his identity was ever discovered. They could be kidnapped, tortured, or even killed because of him.

And so he had cut off all contact with anyone except for Ray.

One-night stands were something completely different, at least in Gavin's mind. He wasn't attached, they weren't attached, and thus not in danger of being used as some sort of bait.

But again, Michael had been different.

Gavin had been immediately attracted to Michael, purely because of his personality. The first time he had heard the other man's voice, he had been yelling. Michael stood for nothing, and seemed like he was more than able to fend for himself. That in and of itself had been enough for Gavin to be interested.

He wouldn't have to worry so much about his being killed.

Of course, it would still be dangerous, and if his date went anything like he wanted it to, Gavin would make sure to tell Michael just that. But, for the time being, he felt as if it was perfectly acceptable to just carry on as they had planned.

When there were only fifteen minutes until he was supposed to arrive, Gavin jumped to his feet, racing towards the front door and grabbing his car keys on the way. However, he had hardly opened the door before Ray was practically on top of him.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He asked impatiently, and his tone was irritable. "We're supposed to be heading out in a few minutes to do the nightly rounds."

"It's none of your bloody business where the hell I'm going," Gavin retorted. But then the second part of Ray's words began to sink in, and he started to reconsider. "On second thought X-Ray, I'll tell you. I'm going out on a date with Michael. If you could take over the rounds for tonight, I'd be really grateful. I'll even leave my phone on, just in case you need me." He looked at the other man with pleading eyes, and after several seconds, Ray's glare softened.

"Alright," he said quietly. "That's fine. But I swear, I'd better meet this Michael character soon. I need to know what all the fuss is about."

\----------------

Unfortunately for Gavin, his spat with Ray had been just enough to cause him to get stuck in traffic. As the minutes began to near closer to seven, Gavin twitched impatiently in his seat, tapping his fingers on his leg.

For a moment, he considered leaving the vehicle completely to try to see what was holding everyone up. Just as he was about to do so, traffic had begun moving again, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Keeping an eye out for anything that might explain why he had just sat for ten minutes in his car, Gavin continued to drive.  
Suddenly he saw it, and when he did, it caused his jaw to drop.

There was an ambulance parked off to the side of the road, where they were loading a stretcher into the back. That in and of itself wouldn't have been odd, albeit a bit sad. It wasn't even so odd that there were no crashed cars in sight, as it could have just been a hit and run. What was so odd was the crushed grass slightly off to the side of the road.

They way it was lying, and the position it was in made it impossible for the victim to have been hit by a car. And due to the way several officers were also standing off to the side, eyebrows knit together in confusion, they knew it too.

That meant there was something else going on. And Gavin couldn't help but be curious. However, he forced himself to focus, tearing his attention away from the scene.

He managed to snap his attention back to the road in front of him, where traffic was finally starting to move fluidly once more. Quickly dialing Michael's number, he set it to speakerphone before setting it down beside him. It rang several times before Michael finally picked up.

"I said not to be late," came Michael's voice from the other end, and he sounded irritated. "Where the fuck are you?"

"Michael, it's only a few minutes past seven," Gavin chuckled. "But seriously though, I got stuck in traffic on the way to your house. It's just started moving again. That's why I'm calling you, to let you know that I'll be about ten minutes late."

"Right," the other man responded, after a slight pause. By the tone of his voice, Gavin wondered if he was embarrassed. "Okay." He waited for a few more minutes to pass and then he was speaking again. "Sorry for flipping the fuck out on you."

Gavin laughed, and he heard the man on the other end let out a sigh of relief. "Michael, if I was easily offended, I wouldn't be going out on a fucking date with you. You're absolutely forgiven."

"See you in ten minutes then," the man replied, before hanging up. Gavin smiled softly for a few seconds, but his mind was almost instantly directed back to the ambulance he had seen. He was eager to see Michael, of course, but something had been off about that whole thing. And he needed to know what.

\----------------

As promised, Gavin arrived at Michael's apartment around ten minutes after seven. The minute Michael opened the door, Gavin felt severely underdressed.

The other man had on a suit, and he flushed as he stared at Gavin. "We didn't really talk about what we wanted to do," he murmured, trailing off and staring at the ground. "I wasn't sure."

Gavin tried his hardest to stifle a chuckle before he managed to speak. "Are you gonna invite me in?"

Michael's face grew even more red with his words and then he was backing up, finally making eye contact and gesturing towards the interior. "Come on in, fuckface." It was obvious that he was trying to appear confident despite the situation, and Gavin only shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, love," he purred, shaking his head. "You're right. We didn't talk about it. I know a nice little Italian restaurant not far from here. They're extremely laid back, and I thought it would make a nice date." He paused, his eyebrows knitting together. "Although, if you like, we could do something a little different."

"Different how?" Michael was curious now, and his embarrassment from mere moments ago seemed to dissipate.

"How would you like to see what I do as Vav?" Michael's jaw dropped at his words, and he stared in confusion.

"Wait, what the fuck are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I saw something a little odd on the way over here, and if I wouldn't have been on my way here, I would have investigated. I'm asking if you want to do that. Investigate, I mean."

For a long time, Michael looked extremely hesitant, and then he was raising an eyebrow. "Will it be dangerous?" He didn't sound scared in the slightest, and Gavin wondered what he actually wanted to hear.

"Could be," he said slowly, but then he shook his head. "Probably not, though."

Finally, Michael managed to work out a reply. "Okay," he said. "But if I'm ever in danger of being hurt, you'd better get my ass out of there immediately. I'm holding you personally responsible."

"Sounds good," Gavin responded, a bright smile passing across his face. He paused, biting his lower lip slightly to hold back a smile as his eyes scanned Michael's body. "But, uh. You might want to change."

"Fuck you," Michael muttered, flushing once more and turning to walk away. He stuck a middle finger up after him.

"You're so charming," Gavin called after him, and Michael huffed.

"Don't fucking look," the other man snapped, and Gavin couldn't hold back his laugh at that. He couldn't resist the urge to tease.

"Only in my dreams."


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh yeah, Gavin," Michael said, an amused smile plastered across his face. "This traffic is so fucking horrible. I can see why you couldn't make it to my place on time."

The two were seated in Gavin's car, and the ride had gone smoothly thus far. The sarcasm in Michael's voice was impossible to miss. Gavin rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips tugged upwards. "Okay," he said. "I know you don't believe me. But the traffic was bloody horrible on the way here. The authorities must have found a better way to keep the cars moving."

"Mhmm," Michael replied, laughing slightly and leaning back in his seat, his arms going to fold behind his neck. "I trust you, honest." However, the tone of his voice showed that he wasn't convinced. As Gavin brought the car to a stop and waited for the light to turn, he turned his head to face Michael. He was wearing a makeshift costume - a hockey mask pulled over his face and a hoodie to cover his curls.

Gavin had insisted. Just to be safe.

"You know," Gavin said, moving to face the road once more as he began to drive. "I'll be honest. I didn't expect our first date to go quite like this."

"You're telling me," Michael laughed. "You're the fucking dipshit that made it all possible. I've never been to investigate a fucking crime scene before ever, much less as a date." He paused for a moment, and Gavin wondered what he was thinking. But before he could ask, Michael was speaking again. "But I don't think I mind. It's different."

It was impossible for Gavin to hold back a smile at that, biting his lower lip slightly as he kept his eyes on the road. "You're different too," he said after long last. "Have I told you that yet?"

"Can't say that you have. Fucking explain."

"Well love," Gavin began. "It's not every day that I bring my dates to a crime scene. Actually, you're the first."

Michael laughed, and it sounded almost like a giggle. "Well I'm fucking glad that I'm unique enough to bring to a fucking crime scene. You're quite the charmer."

"We don't have to," Gavin insisted, even though he internally hoped that Michael wouldn't change his mind. There was something odd going on, and Gavin wanted to figure out what it was.

Shaking his head, Michael laughed again. "No, it's fine Gavin," he replied. "I know you're eager to figure out what the fuck this whole thing is all about and, quite honestly, I am too. If you're this excited, then it must be something good."

"I bloody hope so."

\----------------

The two arrived at their destination a few minutes later, and by that point Michael had started to become impatient. He tapped his fingers on his knee almost constantly, and Gavin couldn't bring himself to believe that it was anything other than a nervous tick.

As he parked the car, he spoke. "Are you alright Michael?" he asked, and Gavin was surprised to discover that he was genuinely worried for the man. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

There was a slight pause, and then Michael was shaking his head. "No, I'm fine," he said firmly. He squared his shoulders, and Gavin was about to respond when he spotted someone.

Ray - who, at the moment, was the last person he wanted to see.

Gavin let out a groan, running his fingers through his hair, and Michael pushed the hockey mask up. His expression was that of pure concern, and Gavin instantly felt bad for worrying him.

"I feel like I need to be the one fucking asking if you're okay," Michael said quietly, knitting his eyebrows together. "So are you?"

A few seconds later Gavin was nodding, a sigh escaping his lips. "Of course. I just really wish that he wasn't here," Gavin replied, gesturing in Ray's direction.

"B-but isn't that your parter?" Michael questioned, and the confusion was prominent. "X-Ray?"

"Yeah. But we had a bit of an argument earlier, and I'm not sure if he's over it yet."

"If I could ask," Michael said hesitantly. "What the fuck were you arguing about? I mean, that would make it that bad."

Allowing his eyes to move to rest on Michael's face, he briefly considered revealing to Michael that the argument had been about him. However, he soon thought better of it, shaking his head and reaching a hand out to push Michael's mask down and over his face once more.

"It doesn't matter," was all he said. He hesitated, staring at Ray before continuing. "He might snap at you, and he's probably not going to want you here. X-Ray is a bit-" Gavin paused, searching for the right word to describe what he was trying to say. "-uptight. He'll say things are dangerous when they're really fucking not. So don't take much of what he says seriously."

Michael didn't respond at first, staring out the window at the other man. "Alright," he said finally, unbuckling his seatbelt and shrugging. "That's fine. I don't give a fuck."

Even though he tried to hold back his chuckle, Gavin found that he couldn't do it, shaking his head as he unbuckled his own seatbelt and pulled the keys out of the ignition. "Alright then," he said. "Let's go."

The two of them made their way over to where Ray was caught up in conversation with one of the officers. But when the sound of their footsteps reached his ears, the man's eyes were darting up. His jaw dropped when he saw Michael, and then he was excusing himself from the woman he had been talking to.

Gavin tried not to roll his eyes at what he knew was coming, and even then it was difficult. "You brought a civilian here?" Ray exclaimed, gesturing frantically at Michael. "Why would you do that Ga-" he cut himself off abruptly, before picking up where he had left off. "Vav? It's not safe, you know that!"

"It's perfectly bloody safe, you donut," Gavin insisted, trying his best to smile despite his annoyance. "There's no one here besides us and the authorities. And I'll just tell them he's with me. He's even costumed for extra protection."

Ray huffed, glaring at the two for a second. But then the frustrated look was being replaced with one of defeat and he forced a smile. "Alright," he said after several moments had passed. "He can stay. But be careful, for fuck's sake."

"For future fucking reference X-Ray," Michael cut in. "I can fucking take care of myself."

Staring at the man, Ray finally managed to nod. "You know, I actually believe that too. But I think Vav needs someone to protect. He needs to be responsible for once." Then Ray was turning his back, gesturing for the two to follow him.

Pushing his shoulder into Gavin's own, Michael laughed. "You hear that, Vav?" Michael asked, putting special emphasis on the name. "Your partner thinks you need to protect me." He looked at Gavin with the most innocent gaze he could muster, then burst out laughing once more. "Fucking Christ."

Gavin laughed as well, but it was forced, as all he could think about was how Michael really needed to not look at him like that.

As they moved closer to where Gavin had been previously, excitement began to well up inside of him. It was a horrible situation, yes. But exciting to him, never the less.

"What happened to the victim?" Gavin asked, raising an eyebrow at a man that was standing just outside of a van that was open in the back. He was working at a computer, and Michael watched what he was doing curiously.

The man turned, and when he saw Michael, confusion washed over his face. "Who's he?" He asked, ignoring Gavin's question completely.

"He's with me," Gavin said firmly. "Now what happened?"

"We don't know for sure," the man said, shrugging his shoulders and turning back to the computer. "But we have footage."

Knitting his eyebrows together in confusion, Gavin tried his best to not sound oblivious. "You have footage, but you don't know what happened?"

"You watch it, and try to tell me."

Gavin and Michael took a few steps closer in order to see the small computer screen.

The footage looked normal at first. A man stood by the side of the road, and it seemed as if he was trying to signal for help. But a few seconds later, the body was flying forwards and crumpling to the ground.

Both men cringed, and Michael made an audible groan. "Fuck," he muttered, his eyes glued to the screen. "That's weird as hell."

Looking at Michael with interest, Gavin prompted him to confusion. "Why is it weird?" He asked. He knew what was so strange about the situation, but he wanted to see if Michael knew.

Hesitating slightly, Michael seemed like he was trying to wrap his mind around what he had just seen. "I-It was just fucking weird. He collapsed, which could theoretically be a heart attack or a seizure or some bullshit. But... he flew forwards first. Like he was hit in the back of the head. Only there was no one there."

"Very good," Gavin said with a grin. "I knew-"

However, Michael cut him off before he could finish. "Wait," he said sharply, turning around once more. "Play that again."

"We've been over this footage a million times," the man groaned, but he did as Michael had instructed. Michael watched intently, and then he was shouting out. "Stop!"

The man did so, and then Michael was tapping on the screen with his finger, turning to look at Gavin, and now Ray, who had moved closer in the commotion. "Right there," he said, and Gavin could practically hear the confusion in his voice. "That. That's a reflection. I don't know what the fuck of, but - there was something there."


	5. Chapter 5

"That's impossible." Ray laughed nervously, shaking his head. "It must have been something the guy was wearing. The sun can't reflect off of nothing." His tone was insistent, but there was a hint of hesitance to it.

"You know what else is impossible?" Michael asked quietly, and Gavin found his attention being pulled away from Ray. "Someone being hit in the back of the head when there's no one there."

"That hasn't been confirmed-" Ray began, but Michael was cutting him off a moment later.

"Look X-Ray, I don't mean to be rude. Which is odd, considering who this is coming from. But I'm pretty goddamn sure that when the reports come back, the guy's gonna have a concussion. Nothing about this is possible. Fucking superheroes aren't possible." He put emphasis on each word, gesturing frantically between the two men in front of him. Ray made a face but sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay, you got me there. But as far as that's concerned, there are explanations for how Vav and I got our powers. They're confidential," here he paused, staring intently at Gavin, who only shrugged. "But nevertheless, they exist. What you're proposing though - it makes no sense."

Michael huffed, knitting his eyebrows together. Then he was scanning the video frame once more. Gavin could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he studied the screen, and Ray sent a frustrated look in Gavin's direction. However, Michael was far too intriguing for Gavin to interrupt, and he held up a finger as he continued to watch the other man.

Then Michael was sucking in a harsh breath, his body tensing. "Back it up," he said excitedly. "Just like fucking - four or five frames or something."

"Michael wha-" Gavin began, but Michael was hushing him almost as soon as he had begun.

"There's something else," he said, tapping the bottom part of the screen. "Right there." Squinting his eyes, Gavin tried to see what exactly Michael was talking about, but all he was able to make out was a bit of a blur. Everyone seemed interested by that point, and even Ray perked up slightly.

The man that had been controlling the technology quickly followed Michael's instructions, backing up the recording until an object came into view. It was still impossible to identify, but it was obvious that there was something there.

"What is that?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared intently.

"It looks like paper?" Gavin said, his attempted statement coming across as more of a question.

"Could be," Michael said slowly, but then he was knitting his eyebrows together once more. "But - but it's moving too quickly. Paper can't move that fast."

Ray opened his mouth to speak, but when Gavin shot him a glare, he almost immediately clamped it shut once more. The man looked irritated, but Gavin didn't care. He wanted to see where Michael was headed with this.

Folding his hands in front of his mouth, Michael turned so that he was facing the street. The traffic had died down, and there was no one to be seen. "Whatever it was, that was the direction it was headed," Michael said thoughtfully as he pointed across the road. Before Gavin knew what was happening, Michael was looking both ways, jogging in the way he had been pointing just a few seconds previously.

His eyes scanned the terrain and a moment later he was crouching down, seemingly picking something up before returning to a standing position. By that time, Gavin was already halfway there, the rest of the group hot on his heels.

Coming to a stop beside Michael, Gavin raised an eyebrow. "What did you find?" He questioned, curiosity bubbling up inside of him. Michael turned the object over in his hands several times before lifting it up.

"It's a crown," he said. "A fucking origami paper crown. It's got something inside of it that weighed it down though. That's how it made it so far."

"What is it?" Ray asked, who had arrived just as Michael had begun speaking. "The thing inside of it, I mean."

Michael shrugged. "Hell if I know." He paused for a minute before speaking once more. "Only one way to find out."

As he unfolded the paper, Gavin turned to look at Ray. At first the other man seemed irritated, but then he simply sighed, shrugging as the expression on his face softened. Gavin couldn't prevent a grin from spreading across his face at that.

However, before he was able to comment on the situation, he heard Michael clear his throat nervously. Concern washed over him at the sound and Gavin immediately pulled his gaze away from Ray. Michael's face had paled substantially, which, considering his skin tone, was saying a lot. There was practically no color to his skin at all, and Gavin found himself rushing forwards almost instantly.

"Michael are you alright?" He asked hurriedly, voice laced with concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Licking his lips nervously, Michael nodded a moment later. "Y-yeah I'm fine. But you know how I thought, more or less, that the guy was killed? Well-" Michael cut himself off, furrowing his brow before holding out the unfolded piece of paper, "I think I have your proof."

Gavin's eyes grew wide as he hurried to snatch the paper from Michael's hands, and Ray was quick to put himself in a position where he could see as well.

The page was blank, with the exception of six words written in red.

_The Mad King sends his regards._

For several moments, nobody knew what to say, staring at the paper, then each other, then at the paper again. Then the man that was with them was fumbling around in his pockets, pulling out a phone a moment later. "Gotta call the cops again," he mumbled, "since now there's more evidence." He parted from the group as soon as the words had left his mouth, heading across the street and towards his truck once more.

The silence that followed was almost deafening, and Ray was the one that finally broke it. He forced a cough, and it was obvious that he was faking it for the sake of the situation. "So Michael," he said slowly, his eyes on the ground. "Who did you say you were again?"

Michael laughed lightly, shaking his head. "I'm no one."

"No one?" Gavin exclaimed, his eyes bright. "That's ridiculous. You just found something that a whole bunch of cops - and me and X-Ray - didn't, just because you thought to look across the bloody street. If you were no one, you wouldn't have been able to do that."

Ray nodded, rubbing at the back of his neck with one of his hands. Finally, he worked up the nerve to look Michael in the eye. "It was impressive Michael, honestly. I still don't know how you did it."

"I don't know," Michael said with a shrug and a smile, his entire face visibly brighter. "I guess I just watched too many cop shows when I was growing up. That's pretty much the only reason I agreed to come in the first place to be honest."

"Well, whatever it was, I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. Sorry I was so rough on you earlier. I don't like letting civilians into crime scenes, especially not ones of this magnitude, where Vav and I get involved."

At that, Michael cleared his throat again, taking a step closer to Gavin. He glanced at him briefly before focusing his attention on Ray once more. It was obvious to Gavin that Michael was nervous, and he wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to wrap an arm around his shoulders in order to help him feel some sort of relief. However, seeing as this was only their first date, he wasn't sure how far he should go.

"About that," Michael said, his voice shaking slightly and tearing Gavin away from his thoughts. "Who the fuck is this 'Mad King' character anyways? I've never heard of him before."

Gavin and Ray exchanged a look, and then Gavin was replying in Ray's place. "To be honest, we don't know. This is the first we've heard of him as well. Hopefully he's not too much of a threat, and we can get our hands on him fairly easily."

"Where will you start?"

Again, Gavin shot Ray a look, who only shrugged as a response. Sighing, Gavin turned back to Michael and shrugged. "Not a clue."

For a second, something that Gavin could only describe as fear washed over Michael's face, but it was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get anything out, Ray was cutting him off.

"Listen you guys," he said, his eyes flicking back and forth between Michael and Gavin, "this is a pretty shit date. I don't care how much badass stuff goes down - no matter how hard you try, this doesn't qualify as a first date." He turned to Michael, raising his eyebrows. "I don't know how much Gavin's told you about his past love life, but it's odd for him to be into someone as much as he's into you. Take that as you will."

"X-Ray," Gavin hissed, his voice sharp. "Why the bloody fuck-"

Michael was speaking up before he had a chance to finish, grabbing Gavin by the hand and tugging him towards the car. "In that case, you're coming with me. You can finish this discussion when we're done." Gavin made to protest, but then thought better of it, allowing Michael to drag him along.

"Later X-Ray," he called back to Ray, raising his hand in parting.

Ray's only response was a wink.


End file.
